Process for producing hormones



[ alented (Jet. 2,1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING HOBMONES Stockton G. Turnbull, Jr., Wilmington, Del., as-

signor to E. L du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August 17, 1943,

- Serial No. 498,984

2 Claims. ('01. zoo-e19) This invention relates to new and inexpensive 'l50-watt projector flood lamp, a solution of 9.6 processes for producing hormones and in particparts of bromine in 50 parts by volume of carbon ular synthetic estrogens. tetrachloride was added dropwise over 3.5 hours It is an object of this invention to produce horin such a way that the heat evolved in the reacmones by means of a new and relatively inexpen- 5 tionmaintained the reaction mixture at a gentle sive process. A further object is to produce synreflux. Hydrogen bromidewas evolved. The thetic estrogens by a simple and easily controlled pale yellow solution was then cooled and exprccess. A still further object is to produce hortracted twice with 5% sodium sulflte and was mones by a process which avoids many of the disthen dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated advantages of the prior art processes. Addiunder vacuum. The 20 parts of oil and crystals tional objects will become apparent from a conthus obtained was sluiried in cold acetone which sideration of the following description and gave 7 parts of white crystals. Upon recrystalclaims. lization from ethyl acetate the 3,4-di- (p-anisyl) These objects are attained in accordance with 3,4 -dibromohexane was obtained as white crysthe hereinafter described invention wherein a tals that darkened slightly at 115 C. and melted compound having the following general formula sharply with decomposition at 119-121 C. with is subjected to the addition of halogen-removing the evolution of hydrogen" bromide and the foragents: mation of a blue-green liquid. v on. x Calc. for 'cmmiozsm c, 52.62; H, 5.30; Br, aa'i' ROO$ C Found: c, 52.51; H, 5.17; Br, 35: Jam Exnrru: 2 wherein a is hydrogen. an kyl oren ocvl sroup. 3,4-di-(p-anisyl) -3,4-dib1omohe'mane :g fifi g a a a? g 'g i ,To 8 parts of the dim ethyl ether of trans van on concern 8 ea 35 diethyl stubestrol in 100 parts by volume of carg g fif g fi fi bon bisuliide there was added dropwise at 0-5 G poun av g ea ove gener cm W ere R represents either an alkyl or an acyl radical. over 4.5 hours a solution of 4.52 parts of bromine In a stm more restricted sense this invention in45.2 parts by volume of carbon bisulflde. The;

p rtains to the dehalogenation of compounds of parts the aforesaid mm In a sun more restricted that crystallized had the same behavior on meltsense this invention is concerned with the de-- as mat obmuied'by the method Example hydrohamgenauon of the foreman and rented 1. By concentration of the carbon bisulfide socompounds. In as preferred embodiment this lution, another 3.9 parts of this product was isoinvention is directed to the productioniof. a lated' ggc-udigp-hydronxly-phenyl) -heia diene-2,4 by de- Email 0 rominat with a hydrogen bromide aci ceptor a compound having the following general Mane di (9 Mdmxyphenyl) di formula: I bromohezane 49 To a solution of 7.04 parts of diethyl stilbestrol R0 J I diacetate in 150 parts by volume of carbon bi- G' sulfide there was added dropwise with agitation- 61H at 25 C..over 1.5 hours a solution of 3.36 parts mn is hydrogen an 1371man of bromine in 20 parts by volume of carbon m3 invention 1 concerned new combisulflde. The bromine only slowly absorbed pound and the employment of m and related and consequently was added quite slowly. After products in the pmducuon of pharmaceutical standing overnight, some crystals had deposited. u -m All was dissolved in chloroform andthe solvent The invention m be more m understood mixture was removed under vacuo. The crystalby g u n of t follow mm u g line residue was treated with alcohol, which gave m 1 wherein the mm are stated 1 the crude 3.4-di-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dibrom I mohexane diacetate. Upon purification with, ethyl acetate the pure product was obtained. It

' M 1 melted sharply at 156-156.5 c. with the evolu- 3.4-di-(p-anisul) -3,4-dibromohca:one mm or gas.

A solution of 8.9 parts of hexestrol dimethyl n for c miousm c. 51".55; 11. 4.73: Br. 31.20

' ether m 100 parts'by volume of carbon tetra- Found: Q5150, H. a; B D chloride was heated. to C. and approximagq i r 31 42 I p I m miv ona was added. wma Bromination m slacial macaw m the irradiating the solution with actinlc light xro a go same product. The retool bromination in acetic acid was more rapid than in carbon bisulflde, but the product was more stable in the latter solvent.

Bromination of hexestrol diacetate in carbon tetrachloride under the conditions of Example 1 gave the same diacetate of 3,4-di-(p-hydroxyphenyl).-3,4-dibromohexane.

' EXAMPLE 4 To 0.50part of the dibromo product of Example 3 in 50 parts of alcohol there was added a solution of 2 parts of potassium iodide in 50 parts of alcohol. The solution was heated at reflux for an hour, and was then poured into water. The product was extracted into ether which was washed with dilute NazSOa and water. After drying and concentration, 0.16 part of crystalline product was obtained from alcohol. After two recrystallizations from alcohol, it melted at 117-119 C. The melting point when mixed with authentic transdiethyl stilbestrol diacetate of melting point 121-123 C. was 107-108 C.

Calc. for 3,4-di-(p-hydroxyphenyl) -hexadiene- 2,4-di'acetate: C, 75.4; H, 6.3 Found: ,C, 75.2; H, 6.5

When 1 part of the dibromo compoundof Example 3 was heated with 40 parts by volume of eutectic mixture containing dry pyridine under nitrogen, there was obtained the diacetate of 3,4-di-(p-hydroxyphenyl) -hexadiene-2,4 described in Example 4.

Exemru 6 2.5 parts of the crystalline 3,4-di-(p-hydroxy phenyl)-3,4-dibromohexane diacetate obtained in Example 3 was agitated in a solution of 100 parts by volume of alcohol with parts of zinc dust at 25 C. for 20 hours. After filtration from zinc dust and concentration, a green oil was obtained that was crystallized from benzene to yield a compound of melting point-141-1'i2 C. saponiflcation of. the acetate groups had occurred. Upon esteriiication with acetic anhydride in pyridine the cisdiethyl stilbestrol diacetate was apparently obtained. The compound of M. P. 141-142 C. is apparently the mixture first reported by Dodds [Proc. Roy. 800., 12713, 153 (1939)], who thought it to be an isomer of stilbestrol. It was later shown by Walton and Brownlee [Nature, 151, 306 (1943)] to be a 60% 'psi-stilbestrol and 40%stilbestrol.

Expert: 7 The mother liquor from the isolation of the material of melting point 156-1565 C. described in Example 3 was concentrated to obtain the steroisomeric 3,4-di-(p-hydroxyphenyl) -3,4-dibromohexane diacetate, an oil. This was agitated in 10.0 parts of alcohol with 10 g. of zinc dust for 20 hours. After filtration and concentrationfthe oil obtained was, dissolved in ether,.wnich was extracted several timeswith dilute caustic. From ether solution hexestrol diacetate was ob-.

. ment with halogen-removing agents, as previously 'tained by crystallization from alcohol, and the When the process of Example 1 was repeated using a trace of. iodine as a catalyst. rather than benzoyl peroxide, there was formed a new dibromo-3,4-di-(p-anisyl)-hexane .in which the bromine atoms are attached to the benzene nuclei. In contrast to the product of Example 1, this material melted clear without signs of decomposition at 179-18l 0., indicating the two bromine atoms to be firmly bound in the benzene nuclei.

Calc. for CaoHzaOzBra: Br, 35.1 Found: Br, 33.4

'ExAmLnQ When the 3,4-di- (p-anisyl) -3,4-dibromohexane of Example 1 was treated with potassium iodide in acetone or with zinc dust in alcohol, acetic acid, carbon tetrachloride or benzene, there was apparently formed in all cases hexestrol dimethyl ether.- No explanation for this is readily apparent. Evidently reduction in addition to debromination occurred.

It is to be understood that theabove examples mentioned, conform to the following general formula:

wherein R is hydrogen, an alkyl or an acyl group,

- and X is a halogen atom. In this formula It may represent practically any alkyl, aralkyl or acyl radical, among which may be mentioned ethyl,

.propyl, isopropyl, butyl, propionate, palmitat'e, laurate, stearate, benzoate, etc.-

Numerous halogen-removing agents are known and described in the literature, and it is contemplated that any of them may be used in practicing this invention. For purposes of illustration a few of the many dehalogenating and dehydro- 'halogenating agents coming within this category may be mentioned. Dehalogenating agents are, in general, metals in solvents. For instance, metals such as sodium, calcium, and the like, may be used. 'Dehydrohalogenating agents or hydrogen halide acceptors are, for example, inorganic bases, inorganic salts, and organic amines. such as, for instance, metallic hydroxides, metallic oxides, metallic carbonates, pyridine, piperi- I dine, trimethyl ammonium hydroxide, aniline.

dimethyl aniline, quinoline, metallic salts of organic acids, such as sodium acetate, lead ace- I I l I 8,885,868 'thetic estrogens of the same order of activity as diethyl stilbestrol have been attained.

As many widely diflerent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is who understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A process which comprises heating a. diester X of 3,4-di- (p-hydroxyphenyl) -3.4-dibromohexane' 

